1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to lighting equipment and more particularly to a portable combination magnifying lens and lamp.
2. Description of the Background Art
There arc numerous known varieties of lighting or illumination equipment available today. Such known illumination equipment typically uses incandescent or fluorescent bulbs as its lighting means. Incandescent bulbs has the advantage of a reasonable light output, but its drawbacks are the relatively high power consumption and heat generation. Flourescent bulbs do not require as much power or generate as much heat as incandescent bulbs, however, flourescent bulbs are significantly larger than comparable incandescent bulbs that generate similar lighting output. Nonetheless, these lighting schemes almost universally require 110V AC household electrical current to operate, and hence, require a power cord that effectively limits the range of the lamp's portability. Therefore, true portability mandates that the illuminating apparatus be cordless.
Cordless illumination devices are also commonly known and available, however, since such devices cannot always run on 110V household AC current, their lighting output is limited. These illumination devices typically operate on a voltage of approximately 3V to 12V battery power and a single component (usually incandescent bulb) illuminating source with an unequally dispersed and limited lighting output. Such cordless illumination devices are generally in the form of hand-held lighting devices that do not have self-standing capability and are typically designed to function as an inspection aid rather than a workpiece-viewing enlargement apparatus.
Illumination devices that incorporate magnification capability are also known. However, the lighting schemes used in such combination illumination devices also suffer from the aforementioned constraints of high power consumption, heat Generation, and the lack of true portability, whereby gaining an advantage in one aspect results in a drawback in others. The best known illumination device having magnification capability is the "magnifier lamp" that is attached to a piece of furniture or structure. Such lamps operate on 110V AC and therefore are not portable.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a self-standing, portable illumination apparatus that incorporates a magnification means coupled to the illumination source that produces a uniformly illuminated area on the workpiece, without a correspondingly high power requirement, whereby the magnification means and illumination source is directionally adjustable as an integral unit. The present invention satisfies this need, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in existing art.